AM NOT CONTESTING FOR ANY POLITICAL POST NOR WILL I IMPOSE A SUCCESSOR.. GOV. CRS.

  Gov  Liyel Imoke   

     
Cross River State Governor, Mr. Liyel Imoke yesterday foreclosed any political ambition in 2015 or beyond and warned those linking him with a return to the senate to desist.
Fielding question from journalists in Calabar at a media parley, the Governor said at no time did he nurse any ambition of returning to the senate and blamed rumour mongers for peddling such falsehood, whereas neither he nor his wife had told anyone that they had senatorial aspiration.

‘’I am not running for the senate neither, am I looking for a successor who will protect me. Protect me from what? I have said it and will continue to say it that I’m not running for another office again’’, he said.

For sometime now, the rumour mills have been awash with stories that Governor Imoke was eyeing the senate after he had talked the wife out of it and that because of his aspiration, relations between him and the Senate Leader, Chief Victor Ndoma-Egba [SAN] was now on ice.

Both Imoke and Ndoma-Egba have on several occasions denied a thaw in relationship. A member of the House of Representatives for Etung/Obubra Federal Constituency, Hon. John Owan-Enoh is believed to be the man challenging Ndoma-Egba to the seat but he is yet to make public his ambition.
On the Cross River gubernatorial race next year, the Governor promised that his successor was going to come from the Northern Senatorial District and advised sceptics to read his lips as he believes in the unity of the state, hence the Office of Governor must rotate among the three senatorial districts.

‘’There will be a level playing field. Aspirants especially on the platform of the PDP will be allowed to test their popularity in the field. It’s unfortunate that some aspirants are waiting for my endorsement or body language. This I cannot do as I have no such powers. I cannot play God on the affairs of men.
‘’I want as many persons as possible from the north to vie for the Office of Governor but I will not want a person who is sleeping comfortably in his house to be asked to come out. I want someone with the capacity, knowledge of Cross River State and goodwill of the people to succeed me’’, he said.

He maintained that the presidential system of government as practiced in Nigeria was too expensive, hence only the rich can win election, ‘’but in Cross River State, I have tried to reduce the cost of electioneering campaign so that even the poor can win election’’.

Imoke revealed that following the ceding of Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroun and consequent lose of oil producing status, Cross River lost N30Billion. But because of pressure, the Federal Government of Nigeria could only compensate the state with N6Billion.
"’Currently, the shortfall in federal allocation is affecting our state like others. Our resources are dwindling but we have a firm believe that we will complete all our projects before leaving office next year’’, he said.

VOTE FOR MISS YALA IN THE CROSS RIVER MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL BEAUTY PAGEANT 2014...

I am more and more convinced that our happiness or unhappiness depends, far more on the way we meet the events of life, than on the nature of those events themselves...
                                                                       Baron Alexander Von Humboldt.

I like picturing my smile, not only on the mirrors but on the faces of people I come around all the times...

Vote for OGAR THERESA OGEYI @ http://goo.gl/Pl5npv

U.S MARINE TRAINS NIGERIAN SOLDIERS IN CALABAR...

The US Marines and Nigerian soldiers in one of the training sessions in Calabar

The U.S Marine Corps Africa, on Friday completed a three-week training for 100 Nigerian soldiers in amphibious and riverine warfare.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training which started on April 17, and ended on Thursday was conducted at the Amphibious Training School (ATS), Calabar.

The soldiers were trained on fire team formation, use of micro terrain, preparation for combat, mission planning, shooting position, casualty evacuation, among others.

Speaking at the grand finale, Brig.-Gen. Enang Ukagu, Commander of ATS, said the objective of the training was to equip ATS personnel with basic concept of amphibious and riverine operations.

He said that the exercise provided the officers with high level military intelligence and knowledge of combating sea piracy and other forms of illegalities in riverine areas.

“The objective of the training has been achieved and the soldiers are now combat ready to engage in any warfare with the enemy in riverine areas.

“The U.S Marine Corps Africa has added value to the capacity building of the Nigerian Army, especially in amphibious and riverine operations.

“I must commend the graduating soldiers for having gone through the three weeks intensive and rigorous training; may your efforts never be in vain,’’ he said.

Ukagu thanked the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah, for the training, saying he did not only approve it but provided funds for the exercise.

Minimah, who was represented by Maj.-Gen. Bamidele Ologundudu, Director of Training, Army Headquarters, Abuja, said the Nigerian Army under his leadership was making tremendous effort in addressing security challenges in the country.

He said that the collaborative training was designed to equip the soldiers to tackle those challenges.

“Over the past decades, a few challenges facing the nation have been a threat to oil exploration and economic activities in the Niger Delta area.

“This is as a result of the activities of criminals, and some misguided elements,’’ he said.

Minimah said that the success of deployment of soldiers to curtail insecurity in the area was dependent on effective training of personnel.

The leader of the U.S Marine, Capt. Peter Kennedy, commended the Nigerian Army for their discipline and hard work.

Kennedy said he looked forward to more training partnership between the U.S Marine and the Nigerian Army.

A cross section of soldiers who participated in the exercise, lauded the exercise, saying that the knowledge they gained would help them in combating illegalities in riverine area. (NAN)

CAN REACTS TO RECENT VIDEO POST BY BOKO HARAM...

On a similar note, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) monday condemned the forcible conversion of Christians among the abducted Chibok schoolgirls to Islam, saying the conversion was a confirmation that the terrorist group was waging a war against Christianity.

The National secretary of CAN, Rev. Musa Asake, said the purported conversion was unacceptable and called on the federal government and the international community to act fast.

According to him, the forcible conversion of the girls was a confirmation that the Boko Haram sect has a religious agenda, adding that it was now clear that they are waging a war against Christians and Christianity.

The association also rejected demands by Boko Haram for the release of their detained members as a condition for freeing the girls, insisting that the Boko Haram members being detained were criminals who committed heinous crimes against humanity and they should face the wrath of the law
The association also accused a Nigerian correspondent of the Cable Network News (CNN) for allegedly downplaying the fact that majority of the girls kidnapped are Christians.

“We condemn the forceful conversion of the abducted Christian girls from Chibok into the Islamic fold by the Boko Haram terrorist group.
“Our Muslim brothers told us that Islam is not by compulsion and we are surprised that our girls who were abducted in school by the terrorists have been forcefully converted to Islam.

“This is a confirmation that the Boko Haram is waging a war against Christianity. We are calling on the federal government and the internationally community to know that there is no ambiguity in what the Boko Haram actually wanted – they are waging a war against Christians and Christianity.

“We also want to urge that the CNN reporter in Nigeria should be called to order, because he is downplaying the reality of what is going on. A majority of the girls kidnapped are Christians, but he is downplaying this fact and misleading the world.

“We don’t know whose agenda he is executing, but we are calling on him to let the world know the truth. Those girls are not Muslims and we are urging the terrorists to return them to their parents,” Asake said.

CALABAR DEBUTS CHILDRENS DAY PAGEANTRY...

Queeneth Orok

Queeneth Orok, the 2009 Carnival Calabar Queen spoke  about herself and her upcoming Children Day Pageantry.

May we please know you?
My Name is Queeneth Effiom Orok , I’m from Cross River State Calabar Municipal. I grew up in Calabar and obtained my B.SC in Computer Science at the university of Calabar. An ex beauty queen from the Carnival Calabar Pageant 2009 and the founder of QueenlyKiddies Makeover, An established full service hair salon strictly for children. Since 2nd sept 2011 QKM tries all effort in making sure children of all ages have fun and pleasant experience getting their hair made. We also specialize in first haircuts and special needs children. We take all ages from babies to toddlers, teens, twins.

What is the motivation and significance of the Prince and Princess pageant which you are organizing?
From my experience as an ex beauty I have always wanted a platform where I could groom children, build up their self confidence, and eliminate timidity. Children’s day Prince and Princess is all about developing the hidden talent which their parents didn’t know and also encouraging parents to build up the talents for the kids.

What is your experience with the negative perception of our people to pageants?
In Nigeria generally everyone thinks pageantry is wrong. This is also to let people see the positive aspects of it by developing your child’s gift, you may never know what that child will become. It’s all about kids having fun on a day set out for them, May 27, Childrens Day; and the ages of kids contesting is from 3-10years.

What exactly are the children going to be doing?
Individual talent performance, dance, catwalk, etc

What is the sponsorship and sustainability plan for the pageant?
For now there are no sponsors being the maiden edition but we are hopeful that after this one, potential sponsors and brand labels will get involved. But we have Indomie noodles and other supporting kiddies stores in Calabar that are helping with gifts, clothings, etc.

GOVERNOR LIYEL IMOKE, SPENDS $125 MILLION DOLLARS ON RURAL ROADS..

Engineer Charles Okongoh, Coordinator, Rural Access and Mobility Project

The sum of 20. 325 billion naira has been spent on the construction of four hundred and seventy four kilometers of rural roads under the Rural Access and Mobility Project, RAMP, in rural communities in Cross River State.

Engineer Charles Okongoh, the Coordinator of the Rural Access and Mobility Project who stated this in Calabar said the four hundred kilometers of roads which are spread across the state directly links the corridors of one hundred and twenty two communities that are inhabited by one million six hundred rural dwellers in the state.

He said the agency which started work in 2008 is funded through a partnership between the African Development Bank, ADB, which paid 34.2 percent sum which stood at 7,016 billion naira while the state government paid the remaining 65.48 percent which has the sum of 13.308 million naira. “The ADB wanted the construction of earth roads but we said since the state witnesses’ high rainfall which can easily erode these roads, to ensure the durability and desirability of these roads we had to add asphalt and the state government bore the cost.”

Engineer Okongoh said the roads have greatly affected the economic life of the rural dwellers who are the direct beneficiaries as they are able to evacuate their agricultural produce to the markets and other selling points.

He said though the state is experiencing unprecedented rainfall owing to climate change, with the state having more months of rainy season, construction of the roads went on and the delivery date of November 2014, for the completion of all roads will be achieved.

The RAMP Coordinator said additional two hundred and fifty kilometers have been approved for construction in the second phase of the project which will be delivered in 2015.

“And following the success of the first phase of the project, so many agencies including the World Bank, European Union, French Development Agency, and the Islamic Bank have all indicated interest in partnering with us to deliver on the second phase which is targeted at delivering additional two hundred and fifty kilometers before the end of May, 2015”.

G18 C0ALITION BLAST NTUFAM JOHN OKON - PDP STATE CHAIRMAN CROSS RIVER STATE

POINT BY POINT RESPONSE TO NTUFAM JOHN OKON-STATE CHAIRMAN PDP CROSS RIVER STATE ON

“Goddy Jedy Agba is not a PDP member”

Mr Goddy Jedy Agba is not a member of the People’s Democratic Party in Cross River State as his name is not in the register of the party any where in the state.

RESPONSE: Seriously? Una don start new joke abi? His ward is called Utugwang Central Ward in Obudu LGA and his name Godwin Jedy Agba is in the register. Just in case you have concluded what we have heard already, be wise.

Ntufam John Okon, the State Chairman of the PDP revealed this to CrossRiverWatch in Calabar on Friday saying that Mr. Jedy Agba is a civil servant and no civil servant can be a card carrying member of any party.

RESPONSE: There is no law or rules capable of taking away the fundamental right of ANYBODY in Nigeria from belonging to any lawful association including political parties. See section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution and Independent National Electoral Commission and the Attorney General of the Federation v. Musa [2003] 3 NWLR (Part 806) 72 Obiter dictum per Uwais (CJN retired) and Ayoola JSC.

“There are party rules for the number of years anybody who wants to contest election can be registered in the party before running elections and as far as we know, Goddy Agba has not registered with our party”.

RESPONSE: Kindly avail us the number of years required for such aspirants to be registered as a member of the party. Chairman, you are a retired Civil Servant don’t forget and supposedly elected to the office of party chairman in the state. Let us know when you started carrying the card as a member of the party up till when you were elected as chairman. We hope you qualify-even by your own standards! Besides, you single out Goddy Jedy Agba, why? Our brothers Tanko Ashang and Fidelis Ugbo and some others we have heard are also civil or public servants. What is it with Jedy?

He said anybody can claim to be a card carrying member of the PDP by printing his own card but such a person cannot have his name on the register of the party and as such he is not a member of the party.

“Anybody can print the party card anywhere but carrying a card is not enough but you must be registered in the party register; let the person who prints his own card carry the card but he is not a member of our party”.

RESPONSE: What you have said here is an innuendo in reference to Goddy Jedy Agba and on its own, is defamatory! How can you insinuate that Goddy Jedy Agba printed his own card and is claiming that he is a member of “our party”. You should know better than this.

Answering a question on claims by some people that the party will be plunged into what they called democratic crisis, Ntufam John Okon said, to cause crisis requires capacity, wherewithal and backing of the right people. “For anyone to cause so-called democratic crisis, the person should have resources of his own, the capacity, the following to back him but some of these people we know them that they cannot even emerge as delegates from their wards, so how can they cause any crisis in the party”.

RESPONSE: Goddy Jedy Agba that even you know Mr. Chairman, is a peaceful man. He abhors violence and crisis and has maintained that even in the worst of dictatorship, peace can be maintained. As per emerging as a delegate from his ward, whether Goddy Jedy Agba or his supporters, please allow the people -party faithfuls to decide. You don’t hold all the votes. Yours is just one!

The State Chairman said Cross River State is on a journey with a clear blue print for the development of the state which has been reviewed periodically to suit the needs of the state and as such, the state cannot be handed over to someone who is not aware of the blueprint and developmental plans of the state.

RESPONSE: A journey? A blue-print? Developed by who and for who? For Cross Riverians? Then why is it now a bad thing for someone who is a Cross Riverian like Donald and Liyel to also be part of the “blue-print” and perhaps to better it. Liyel said recently, that if you continue doing the same thing for a long time, you will begin to consider even things that are not okay to be okay (paraphrased). That should be the reason for not allowing the tripartite Donald-Liyel-Gersh arrangement to scale the 24 year plan- at least with the zoning of the Governorship to the North. There are many smart people-especially young people from the State. If at your age you have joined the league of those who cannot see anything good from outside the “family”, then the state and the young ones are in deep trouble! Beyond that, wouldn’t you rather enjoy a consolidation of an existing blue print with a fresh agenda for Cross River that promises new things and span beyond the vision of just Donald and Liyel? Think again!

“The blue print was initiated to develop the state and Mr Donald Duke started this and Senator Liyel Imoke has sustained this with rural transformation and we cannot allow just anybody who does not have the grip of what the blue print is to come and take over”.

RESPONSE: Again and again we keep saying this: Goddy Jedy Agba is not just “anybody” whatever that means in your parlance! He is a son of Cross River state with the requisite qualification to steer the affairs of the state and very well too. He has more than a full grip of whatever blue print you are talking about and even more. He is not coming to destroy the state but to make it better for everyone especially the youths!

Ntufam Okon said though nobody has formally come to tell him of his plans to succeed Imoke, there are a lot of “Our brothers who have been following and are capable of continuing with the blue print; we believe in consensus and we have been linking up and at the right time we shall give birth to the person and the delivery table is this one we are sitting on”.

RESPONSE: You believe in consensus and will give birth to the person to take over from Liyel! See how you foster and expose illegality? What kind of consensus? So it means nothing to you for the people –in the party- to be part of the process that will bring in the candidate of the party? What is the big deal about allowing the delegates the freewill (God given o) to elect their candidate from the aspirants on ground? You truly think that the decision of the “we” you are referring to (which we all know) is better than what the delegates would decide in a free and fair contest?

Finally, since nobody has come to tell you of his interest to run for governorship (not just Goddy Jedy Agba), why not wait! You are meant to be an impartial arbiter but see you descending to the arena at this time and taking on Jedy in this manner. He is just one of the many from the North who wants to get into government house after Liyel. What evil has he done to you or to anyone that you know? You have made headlines, thanks! But you can do better sir.

WE HAVE PROOFS THAT GODDY JEDDY AGBA IS A MEMBER OF PDP...

Friends of Jedy Agba

Friends of Goddy Jedy Agba have reacted to the statement credited to Ntufam John Okon, the Chairman of PDP in the state to the effect that Mr Goddy Jedy Agba is not a member of the party and as such not eligible to contest for the position of governor of the state under its platform.

Dr Sandy Onor flanked by Barrister Venatius Ikem, Mr Ernest Irek, Mr Bassey Okim and John Omori on Thursday afternoon in Calabar told pressmen that Mr Goddy Agba is a member of the PDP having registered in his Otugwang Central Ward in Obudu Local Government Area of the state when the party conducted its nationwide registration exercise.

“We have heard stories that the party registers were carted somewhere maybe the state chairman is saying that Goddy’s name has been removed but that will be unfortunate because we have a photocopy of the register and can defend his membership of the party.

Dr Onor who spoke on behalf of the group with others contributing occasionally said the comments by the state chairman makes him a partisan participant in a contest in which he should be neutral. “There have been a lot of comments by Ntufam John Okon, the PDP Chairman of our state; comments we did not expect to flow from a person holding such an exalted office and it is for the benefit of doubt that we are reacting to them”.

According to them, democracy allows people the freedom to associate and to pursue common goals but Ntufam John Okon has turned the party position he occupies to an organ of threat and not a platform to address party issues, “but we will not be intimidated by such threats rather we are strengthened in our pursuit to ensure Goddy Jedy Agba becomes governor of this state”.

The Group stated that Gordy Agba is for now the right person to become the governor of the state since he has his head above waters, the right contact, intellectual and technical capability to take the state to the next level.

“The State Chairman is isolating him for pillorying and that gives the impression that the capacity of the aspirant is so huge and is causing some people sleepless nights”. The Friends stated.

Dr. Onor said the Electoral Act in section 101 subsection 1 is explicit on what constitutes an election campaign and stated that they are not campaigning as claimed by the PDP Chairman as the office they operate from has no party logo, billboard, flyers and nothing to show that it is a campaign office.

“Ntufam John Okon is the one violating the Electoral Act by isolating one party member while campaigning for others and we see clearly where they are going and that is to suspend us but that will be unfortunate because we have internal processes for addressing such”.

The group concluded by informing the State Chairman that screening aspirants for the position of governor is not the sole prerogative of an individual but that of a zonal committee and therefore ridiculous for him to constitute himself to a one man screening committee in order to eliminate Goddy Agba from contesting election for the position of governor